The use of tile setting machines is well known, being taught by Valente, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,451. Eschenbach teaches a floor conditioning machine in U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,601.
The Valente system is a noisy, cumbersome arrangement comprising a heavy, hand-held tile setting machine connected by air suction line to a compressor or like machine.
The tile setting machine itself has an air driven vibrator and a suction cup, both powered by the compressor.
The compressor requires to be accommodated in the vicinity of where the tiling is to be carried out, and to be connected to an external power source, which on a building site frequently presents its own difficulties. In operation, the compressor is very noisy, and the air hose connection to the tile laying machine is most inconvenient, and also forms a safety hazard.
In operation, the cumbersome and relatively heavy Valente machine, which weighs between 10 and 14 lbs., requires to be solidly supported upon its extendable supporting legs in order to achieve precision in placing the tiles.
In practice, many users habitually leave open the vacuum connection to the suction cup, resulting in contamination of the suction line by local detritus, leading frequently to loss of suction, and hence, to inoperability of the machine.
The Eschenbach machine is even larger and heavier than the Valente machine, and also requires an external power connection, which on site can prove most difficult to obtain.